The Queen and Her Golden Idol
by byaboo
Summary: I want to thank WickedRegalDearie for planting the GoldenQueen idea in my head. Regina is being forced into a marriage that she doesn't want by a mother hell bent on reigning. One man will change all that and open her up to a new world. Rumplestiltskin is alone, Bae is gone and he is drawn to Regina, the opposite of Cora. Will love bloom? Or are they doomed to stay enemies. Rated M
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Yet again I would like to thank WickedRegalDearie for the inspiration in writing this story. This story is rated M for future plot. Please enjoy and feel free to rate and respond. I hope you all enjoy it.**

***Byaboo**

~Regina~

Regina hates Cora with such a passion that it practically consumes her. Practically, hell more like completely consumes her. Daniel had been her true love, the one person who saw her as a person and not a pawn to forward his own desires. Regina loved Daniel and Cora took him from her for no other reason than she wants Regina to marry a king and become a queen. Being someone never mattered to Regina. All Cora can talk about is that the king keeps asking about her. She does not blame Snow White for what happened. She knows how persuasive, or rather manipulative, Cora can be.

Regina is standing in front of her mirror looking at the over the top dress that Cora just demanded….asked her to put on. She is prattling on about how Regina needs to look her best for the king and how she thinks he's going to propose any day now.

"See, wasn't I right about the seamstress making you a new dress? The king has seen you in your best clothes and it would send the wrong message to have him see you wear the same dress again. You need to look your best on that day. Did I tell you that he is planning on coming out for a week so soon after his last visit? I think he shall propose on this trip."

"Oh, shut up mother." The tightness of the magic Cora uses to wrap Regina in is something that she has gotten used to, still doesn't make them comfortable or looser, just familiar.

"What was that darling?"

"Nothing mother."

"That's it sweetheart. Soon we will have the world at our beck and call." Regina immediately hears her slip. The magical constraints dissipate but are replaced by the ridiculously tight corset straps.

"I can't breathe mother."

"Breathing is for those who are married." Regina sighs; well she tries to sigh but manages only a slight exhalation. Cora sweeps the both of them out of Regina's room and down towards the receiving hall.

"The king will be here any moment." The dress has to weigh nearly thirty pounds and the shoes are incredibly uncomfortable. These are the things that are taking Regina's focus. A sharp smack on her hand brings her attention back to her mother.

"You are fidgeting, queens don't fidget." Queen, queen bloody freaking queen, that is all that woman can think about. The trumpet sounding the king's arrival makes her heart sink. Regina, however; plasters on a smile and curtsey's when the king stops in front of her.

"You look beautiful, Regina. Would you mind taking a brief walk with me through the gardens? It is too beautiful a day not to enjoy it." She can't speak. Cora subtly pushes her into motion, which is all the king needs as confirmation. He takes her arm and places it in the crook of his. The two walk out of the palace.

"Regina, you have shown Snow White such kindness that hasn't gone unnoticed with me. It has been passed through the kingdoms that I am seeking a new wife and mother for Snow. I would be honored if you would accept my proposal of marriage."

"Your Highness-"

"Leopold, please call me Leopold."

"Leopold, I, I'm not sure it would be a good idea. I'm not really the mothering type." She can see the look of disappointment in his eyes and can practically feel the magical constraints tightening around her.

"You can learn to be a good mother, and I, well I have feelings for you Regina." Against her better judgment Regina slumps, at least it is an attempted slump, against her corset.

"I shall marry you Leopold." He leaps up and wraps Regina in a tight hug. He pulls away from her and puts the sapphire and diamond ring on her finger. She flashes a brief smile at her new fiancé, while her stomach sinks to her knees. Cora appears suddenly and envelopes the two of them in a hug while gushing about how happy she is for the both of them. Leopold sends one of his knights to retrieve Snow from the carriage.

"She fell asleep on the ride over and I didn't want to wake her until necessary." The brunette child bounds towards her father with a wide smile.

"Snow, darling, I want to introduce you to your new mom." The girl, who usually is very happy and eager to show affection, is reserved and quiet. She briefly hugs Regina and runs off.

"She'll come around. She does like you Regina." Regina wants to crawl out of her skin at the moment. In a matter of a few months she would be a mom and a wife and be required to have a child of her own, preferably a boy. She uses Snow's departure as a way to get away from her mother and Leopold.

"I'm going to go check on Snow." She can hear Cora chirping at Leopold about how mothering Regina is. Just like mother. She knew one thing; she would not be a mother like hers is. She will not force her child, or children, into marrying someone they do not want to. Regina silently sits down next to Snow. She watches as the girl ignores her and messes with some nearby rocks.

"I hope you know I will never call you mother."

"I wouldn't want you to if you don't want to do that. I am not replacing your mother."

"Then why does father need to marry anyone? We are happy just the two of us." It is a good question that if answered will only make Snow even more unhappy. Regina decides that instead of being honest, she will tell a little white lie.

"Your father and I are in love, Snow. That's what people do when they are in love. They marry. I am truly sorry your mother died. His marrying me does not mean he didn't love her, it means the exact opposite." The young girl turns an inquisitive eye towards her and just stares for a second.

"I mean it Snow; I am not looking to replace your mother." The girl gives a small smile and tosses a rock that sinks immediately.

"Let me show you a little trick." Regina says as she picks up a small flat rock, she skips it across the lake. The two spend a few minutes more skipping rocks before Leopold calls to them.

"My girls, it is time for supper." Snow runs off and hugs her father. He gives Regina a smile and kisses her temple.

"You seem to have smoothed the way with little Snow." Cora jumps in at that moment to croon about Regina, and more importantly about how good a mother she is because of how good a potential mother Regina will be. Cora is always looking for a way to promote herself. The next day the wedding announcement goes out and Cora has already called upon a seamstress and a wedding attendant, someone to help with wedding details.

"Mother, Leopold and I spoke at length last night. We do not wish to have a long engagement or a lavish wedding. We want something quiet with close family and friends in attendance." Secretly Regina is happy with Leopold's suggestion because it means fewer people she has to pretend in front of. Cora just waives her comment off and continues with her prattling.

"Please, darling you know that you will look back on a small wedding and wish you had done as I suggest. Why fight me on this, you know I will get my way. I do agree with you on the long engagement however. One shouldn't leave a man alone with their desires for long." Regina just slumps against the chair resigned to the huge lavish affair that her mother will plan. She spent much of the following two weeks trying on an ever growing lavish wedding dress. The most recent fitting is a disaster from the beginning. The poor seamstress is practically shaking whenever Cora is in the room to the point that Regina gets stuck four times in ten minutes. After the fifth poke she turns to her mother.

"Why don't you go see if the wedding attendant has drawn up the designs for the wedding hall?"

"Now that is a bride planning ahead. I told you that you would get into the planning." Cora's departure leaves the room with a palpable calmness.

"I know she is a little….difficult and can stress out the calmest person. I am truly sorry for all that she is putting you through." The seamstress smiles and subtly wipes her eyes. Regina spends the next hour in almost absolute silence with the seamstress as she finishes the final measurements of the dress and its mock up. Once the seamstress is done and left to begin working on the wedding dress Cora arrives back in the room. She sits down with a sigh and looks at Regina.

"You should be so thankful that _I_ am taking care of all of this for you but that is what the mother of the future queen _should_ do." Instead of answering her mother Regina gets up and walks out to the barn. Her mother got rid of Regina's horse when she killed Daniel, so that Regina could not run away. Regina just wanders the barn; it has always been her best place to calm down. She can feel eyes on her.

"Mother I am not going to run away, you can stop watching me." There was no response. The feeling of being watched did dissipate though.

~Rumplestiltskin~

The poor girl is desperately sad; it's what initially pulls him to her location. That is how he is able to appear just when needed. Usually whenever the person calls out he makes his presence known but this time it feels wrong. His foresight is telling him to wait that she will call on him again. He reappears back in his castle and sighs at the silence that surrounds him. It is amazing how much he misses Bae's noise. The noise of other people's wishes can be deafening and is something that used to bring him happiness and take away a certain degree of missing sadness due to the silence in the castle. Knowing how many people are out there that have such trivial desires and how quickly they are willing to practically sign their lives over for, quite effectively, nothing. Sure it seems important to them at that moment but most of the time if they just let things play out it always ends up the same way, just a little later than they wanted. Cinderella did not need a spell to be able to go to the ball that leads her to meeting the Prince, her future husband. He was planning a trip to meet and greet noble families prior to the ball. He would have met Cinderella during this meet and greet. That was derailed once Cinderella went to the ball and dropped her shoe. The Prince just tweaked his reasons for the visiting of the families. This doesn't mean that Rumplestiltskin doesn't delight in manipulating things so he can get what he wants from these people; it just means that they are usually unable to wait for things to fall into place.

This girl in the barn intrigues him though. She is very strong and has an aura of magic surrounding her, something that is surprisingly unusual. It is a mere week later when he is pulled to her again, this time she calls him by name and not by just a feeling of desperation.

"Rumpelshtil- Rumpelshtilshin, I summon thee."

"That's not how you say it, dearie. But then, you didn't have to say anything." He can see how uncomfortable he makes her. Usually he relishes doing that but for some reason he feels bad about it. He doesn't show her any of that though, a deal is a deal.

"What are you?"

"What, what, what. My, my what a rude question. I am not a 'what'." He is amused that she has the naiveté to even ask. He looked into her life during the previous week and found out that her mother is Cora. Cora, the woman who taught him that being heartless is better than being with him.

"I'm sorry, I… I don't really know what I'm doing."

"That much is clear. Allow me to introduce myself, Rumplestiltskin." He could feel her eyes assessing him in a way that he had grown used to, except this is different. She was initially horrified but now, she seems just plain curious.

"And I'm-" He cuts her off because he wants to get the fact that he knows and taught Cora out of the way.

"Regina. I know."

"You do?"

"But of course."

"Because of my mother, Cora, you taught her."

"My legend precedes me." Rumplestiltskin desperately wants to know how much Cora told her but he keeps his attentions aloof and continues to let her feel him out.

"Then, can you help me?" The hopefulness in her voice is ringing through loud and clear, even a blind deaf mute can feel it.

"Possibly, yes. You seek power, the death of your enemies….the death of your friends." Regina's face does not react with satisfaction of being read, it is in fact looking quite horrified.

"No! I don't want to hurt anyone." Ah, there's the difference. Regina still has her humanity. He moves his hand and behind him appears a covered object.

"How did -"

"Magic, it can set you free."


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am so excited with the response so far from this story! Here is chapter 2, please enjoy!**

~Regina~

"How, exactly do you know my mother?" Regina knows her question is abrupt and defensive sounding but she knows her mother well enough to not trust the man standing before her.

"What does that have to do with our potential deal, dearie?" She could tell he was intrigued by her question and wanted to toy with her.

"Answer me or leave." The statement sounds strong but she doesn't know what she would will do if he actually does leave. He regards her for a couple of seconds more and then sits in the chair he'd appeared in.

"Let's just say your mother and I had a business arrangement that she…was able to find the loophole on." Regina is about to ask for more information, because quite frankly that is just a drop in a bucket of shadiness that is typical of Cora, when he gave her a look that makes her close her mouth. For a split second she can see a look of sadness and hurt flash across his face but it was replaced with a look of controlled bemusement. To diffuse the tenseness that is building Regina turns back towards the covered item and takes a couple of steps towards it.

"Say I accept this, what do you want from me?"

"Nothing as of yet, just promise me that Cora will be the one to remove the mirror's covering. Once she removes it, you, dearie, will push her into the mirror. Your problems will be over once that happens. She will not be able to hurt or control you after that." He disappears in a whirl of purple smoke and Regina is frozen to the spot. Did he just in a roundabout way say that he wanted Regina to kill her own mother? The door to her room opens and in walks one of the maids.

"Your Highness, your mother wants me to remind you that King Leopold will be here tomorrow. She wants you to wear the dress she had made for you." The maid curtsey's and walks out of the room. Damn it, she completely forgot that he was coming to spend the week. Their wedding is just a couple of days away. Regina looks once more at the covered object and gets in bed. A sense of dread fills her. When the time comes will she be able to push her mother to her demise. Her sleep is fitful and full of nightmares. The one that woke her up for the day was pushing her mother towards the mirror. Instead of going into it Cora just bounces off it and stares at her daughter. Cora begins to laugh which is followed by the laughter of Rumplestiltskin. The two of them, Cora and Rumplestiltskin, then proceed to torture Regina, all while cackling away.

"Good morning your Highness. Would you like to have breakfast down in the dining hall or in your room?" The maid from the previous night is standing just inside the doorway. Regina wonders how long she'd been there. The thought of seeing her mother at the moment is terrifying.

"I will just take it here Greta, thank you." The maid curtseys again and disappears. Regina wraps her dressing robe around her and walks to her window. The sun is shining brightly and she can hear birds chirping to their young. It's ten minutes before the maid is back with breakfast. Regina sits down and asks her to sit with her. One thing that Cora would put a stop to immediately if she knew would be that Regina often spends her mornings speaking with and cultivating a relationship with the workers of the house. Her mother always looks at the staff as peons and beneath her but Regina can see that by acknowledging them and at least attempting a relationship can and does lead to a happier more productive household.

"So, Greta tell me about the young man I saw you speaking with in town the other day." The girl blushes and begins to talk animatedly about the boy, Robert. Regina revels in the feeling of normal young girl behavior. When the clock strikes seven Greta stops talking and in a panic begins gathering up the breakfast remains.

"Your mother wanted me to feed the horses by seven. She is going to kill me." Regina opens her mouth to speak but another voice speaks.

"Not yet, I won't. I still need you to feed the animals. Now go." The girl sprints out of the room.

"Mother, how long were you standing there?"

"Long enough to know that you speak with the help like they are people." Cora turns towards the still covered mirror and takes three steps towards it.

"Is this a gift from the King? Why would you still have it covered? If he'd meant for it to stay covered he would have waited to have it delivered." Regina can feel the words telling her mother to stop bubble up as Cora pulls the cloth off the mirror. After Cora studies her reflection she turns back towards Regina.

"I do hope you wrote a thank you note to the King for his ostentatious gift." That is typical Cora. She must find some fault in everything. There is a brief flash in the mirror and Regina can almost swear that it is Rumplestiltskin doing a pushing motion.

"Now, Regina the King will be here in a short while why aren't you dressed already? I don't want to hear anything about your 'doubts' over this wedding and marriage again. You need to marry Leopold so that w-you can be set for life." Regina can feel the gentle squeeze of magic that Cora likes to do just to keep people in line. In an instant Regina has had enough and she pushes, or at least she thinks she pushed Cora. Cora goes flying and goes into the mirror, not just falling into it but rather is absorbed by the mirror. The glass shatters and goes flying. Regina covers her face and turns away.

She is free, she feels free. Regina doesn't have to marry Leopold any more. She can run away and never look back. In a flash Regina is dressed in her riding clothes and running towards the stables. She grabs the fastest horse and races out of the stables and away from the home she has known her whole life. Upon getting to the edge of her families property Regina sees a familiar person standing on the side of the road.

"What do you think you are doing dearie?"

"I did exactly what you told me to; I pushed Cora into the mirror. I'm free and I am leaving here." Regina moves the horse to go around him but he just steps in front of her again.

"How did it feel?"

"I loved my mother." It takes a seconds pause for Regina to actually speak those words. On some level she did love Cora. She always tried to be the best but it never seemed to be enough. Her father, a kind man, was useless when it came to stopping Cora and her control.

"That's not what I'm asking. How did it feel using magic?"

"It doesn't matter; I'll never use it again." She felt as if she was repeating herself. She'd already told Rumplestiltskin that she had no desire to become like Cora.

"Why not?"

Regina speaks before she can even put a thought together.

"Because I loved it." It terrifies Regina how much she actually loved the feeling of magic rushing through her, the startled look on Cora's face as she flew back into the mirror.

"You've discovered who you are. You could do so much if you let me show you how."

"Through magic?"

"Through many things." Regina is instantly skeptical.

"And what do you get out of it?"

~Rumplestiltskin~

"Someday you'll do something for me. Let me guide you." He can tell that Regina is almost there. She is almost ready to learn from him.

"And I won't become like her?"

"That is entirely up to you, dearie." This seems to be enough for Regina to consent to learning magic from him. She climbs down off the horse and turns back towards her home. He picks that moment to leave her be. Rumplestiltskin smiles as soon as he is back at the Dark Castle. Cora isn't dead. She is in a magical world that is completely blank. There is literally nothing, Cora is just floating around in nothingness. A wicked grin envelops his face and he giggles his maniacal chortle. He takes a moment to look into the future. He cannot see with preciseness. Only one born with the sight can but he can see enough to fill in the details. He can see an angry Regina coming to him and asking for his help. She is a powerful witch at that point.

"It is all falling into place." He states to himself. He lets the sounds of the desperate wash over him and he sees which ones he can extrapolate something that will help further his plan.

He stands invisible as he watches Regina walk down the aisle to wed Leopold. The whole wedding is subdued, he assumes because of Cora's absence. He can see that she is incredibly nervous and wants to run but doesn't. The kiss at the end is just merely a perfunctory kiss rather than one filled with passion. Milah and he had perfunctory kisses, the one when they were wed, the ones when they conceived Bae and the one when he went off to battle. At the time though he thought they were kisses full of promise and passion. When he saw how Milah tried to protect Killian he could see the love in her for Killian in her eyes. His hatred over her at that moment took over and he killed her. He crushed the very heart he'd promised to protect years earlier.

Regina and Leopold walk up the aisle to the applause of the people. Leopold is a much beloved king who won the people over when his first wife died. Rumplestiltskin can see the love in the King's eyes as he looks at the beautiful young bride standing next to him. The man is beaming and plants another kiss on her at the end of the aisle. The crowd slowly leaves the hall and wanders towards the outdoors reception. The minstrels were already playing their instruments. Rumplestiltskin chooses this moment to leave. He doesn't need to see more gushiness.

They have their first magic lesson a mere week after her wedding. He wants her to begin with controlling the little bit of magic she has. Once she can control that magic she can magnify it to be able to do whatever she wants or needs to do with it.

"Come on dearie, it's just a leaf. You can make it float. Just concentrate." Regina looks at him and returns her focus on the maple leaf in his hand. He can feel her magic floating everywhere around him. He is about to call it quits when he can feel her energies start to focus.

"Good, good keep it up." He quietly praises her. The leaf slowly rises out of his hand. It tops out at about three inches above his palm. Regina is able to keep her concentration for a full thirty seconds, far better than some of those he'd taught previously. When the leaf falls to his palm Rumplestiltskin grins at his pupil.

"You are doing very well, dearie."

"I am? I don't know what I'm doing or what I need to focus on or with. All that did is give me a headache." He hands her a damp cloth he made appear. She takes the cloth and places it on her neck. The two sit on a nearby fallen tree.

"You will learn. It can take a while but once you start understanding there is literally nothing you cannot do with the magic inside you." Regina takes the cloth off her neck and hands it back to him. She stands up and walks back into the clearing. He sits and watches her with curiosity. Regina moves with an elegance that cannot be taught. The wedding band and engagement ring sit prominently on her left hand.

"So, tell me. Does your husband know you are practicing magic?" Regina looks at him like he's just grown a second head. He's done that to scare people before but it's always a pain because the clothes get torn and have to be mended afterwards.

"Do I look stupid? He thinks I am going for a ride on my horse."

"Ah, lying, a wonderful way to start off any happy marriage."

"And the truth would be so much better. Now help me…please." The sarcasm makes him smile and he does a slight bow and walks into the center of the clearing. The two spend the next couple of hours working on making the leaf hover and begin to move. By the time Rumplestiltskin decides to call it a day Regina is able to make the leaf hover six inches off his hand and move twenty feet towards her.

"You need to work on your concentration. Try to figure out a way to shut out the world around you. If you can do that then you will be able to control your magic even better." He walks Regina to her horse and watches her ride away for a minute before he disappears and reappears in his Castle.

"Today is a good start."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I am sorry for the delay in getting this chapter written. I had a little bit of a block when it came to how to portray Rumple. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**~Byaboo**

~Regina~

Regina has taken to practicing magic when she knows that Leopold and Snow will be occupied. Leopold has meetings most afternoons and Snow has her studies in the afternoon. Today Regina is focusing on moving a quill across the table towards her. She can get it out of the inkstand and about halfway towards her before it falls. The longer she practices the more frustrated she gets. While telling her to concentrate more is a good suggestion, it doesn't help when she doesn't know what to concentrate on. They have another session the next day and Regina really wants to show him that she is a capable student, that he is not wasting his time on her. What has struck her as not really surprising and yet totally surprising is the fact that she does not miss Cora at all. She thought that maybe on her wedding day she would want her by her side, but having her father, Henry, by her side did more for her than Cora could have ever done. Regina has been married now for a month. She has learned a few things in that short time. One is that she doesn't have much idle time; hence she tries to practice when everyone else is busy. Two that there is always some sort of potential coup or threat that is rising in some far flung village that Leopold or his soldiers have to deal with. Three is that Regina is happy. She had gone through with the wedding because she didn't want to disrupt so many people's lives by running away. The feeling of obligation has gone away and a sense of comfort and contentment has replaced it.

"I am glad to see that you are practicing, dearie." Regina jumps at the sound of his voice. Rumplestiltskin giggles and practically struts towards her. He deftly picks up the quill and deposits it back into the inkstand. He leans against the desk and looks at Regina. Her heart is slowing down from the surprise.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't randomly show up. I do have people here that I would rather not know that I am getting tutoring from you." He bows a little and makes a hand gesture of apology. Regina stares at him as he walks towards her. He takes her hand, far more gently than she expected, and clasps it with his. A warm sensation spreads from her palm up to her wrist.

"Just a little something so you know I am nearby without my having to appear. If you cannot meet then all you have to do is clench your hand once. If you are alone then all you have to do is acknowledge me. It also lets you know when you are being seeked out by someone." As he pulls his hand away from hers Regina sees a small orb glowing. It is imbedded into her skin.

"I can't have this. Leopold will notice a glowing ball in my hand." Rumplestiltskin giggles again; it makes her feel as if she is a child who just said something stupid.

"You do not have to worry; it is only visible to you and only when I am near. I shall also stay invisible until you agree to meet with me." Regina bids him to stay in her room while she checks if everyone is occupied.

"Sir Gale, how much longer will Leopold be in negotiations? I am planning on a long horse ride and don't want him to worry."

"He will be another several hours, you Highness." The knight bows and returns to standing guard at the meeting room door. She checks in with the tutor and finds out that Snow is in the middle of memorization and would be at least another few hours.

"Alright, Rumplestiltskin I'm yours for a few hours." He smirks at her and envelops the both of them in purple smoke. They appear in the same clearing as their first meeting. He exposes his palm to her and Regina sees the same leaf they'd worked with before.

"Let's begin where we left off last time, dearie. Remember to concentrate." His focus is placed onto the leaf. Regina feels the magic starting to flow through her and it clicks. Instead of forcing the leaf to rise, Regina manipulates the air around it to make it lift. She uses that and makes it gently float towards her. A small smirk crosses Rumplestiltskin's face.

"You have been practicing. Let's try something a little larger." Regina hears a crack and looks up to see a large branch falling very quickly towards her. Her gut reaction is to run, but she can't. Her legs are stuck to the ground. The fear courses through her and she covers herself with her arms and feels a burst of magic. She looks up to see an almost invisible barrier that protected her from the branch, which had fallen ten feet away from her.

"What the HELL was that?" He just looks at her casually and sits on the freshly fallen branch.

"It would have taken far too long to get you to consistently get that leaf to move, and using air to manipulate the leaf is good but you need to move the leaf alone." Regina practically growls with frustration.

"Do you want to end things for today?" She can tell he is mocking her and it just angers her more. Regina looks around at the leaves littering the forest floor and with a wave of frustration she dispels it. In an instant the leaves on the floor begin to lift off the ground. She looks around at the hundreds of leaves floating a solid foot off the ground.

"Spin them." Regina focuses her attention and begins to start slowly spin them around the two of them like a tornado.

"Tut tut dearie, spin them on their own." Her anger is palpable and Regina immediately stops the leaf tornado and begins to make them spin individually. She takes a quick glance at him and sees that he is smiling, a creepy look on his face. She lets the leaves spin for a few more seconds before she let them drop to the ground.

"Now you are getting somewhere. Your trigger is anger." She is instantly upset by this revelation.

"I, I don't want that. I lived with someone who was angry all the time that is not the kind of life I want. You told me I had a choice."

"You do, Regina. You can choose to use your magic for good or for nefarious reasons. You do not, however, have a choice in what drives the magic." Regina stomps over to the stump and slumps down. Her fear of becoming her mother is rushing to the surface and before she can even recognize what's happening she is crying hard. She can't become Cora, she can't do that to the people she loves. Leopold's face rushes to her mind and while she might have been forced into accepting his proposal and felt duty bound to marry him she does have feelings of affection towards him. The last thing she wants to do is hurt him and create the shell of a person that Cora did to Henry or make Snow hate her as much as Regina hates Cora. Henry tried his hardest to help Regina whenever Cora was on a rampage but as she got older the less that helped. It became more patronizing than anything. Since Cora's disappearance Henry has become the father he was when Regina was a child. The way he interacts with Snow White always brings a smile to her face. He has taken to being a grandfather like a duck to water. Regina feels the stump shift slightly and feels something light placed on her lap. She pulls one of her hands away from her face to see a handkerchief.

"Dearie, you do have a choice in how you use your magic. Trust me, if you have the courage you can be anything you want to be." She hears a bit of sadness in his statement and she catches a flicker of sadness before he returns to the ever present smirk. Regina sits on the stump for a few seconds longer to pull herself together. She resumes her position in the middle of the clearing and turns to face him. Without a word, Regina focuses on the leaves and in a moment of understanding she makes the leaves swirl around her. This time she is not manipulating the air but the leaves themselves. When the leaves gently fall to the floor she hears clapping and a genuine smile on Rumplestiltskin's face.

"See, I knew you could do it. Let's try it with the branch. See if you can toss it to me." Regina turns towards the branch and gets it about a foot off the ground when her hand becomes warm. She lets it fall to the ground as she looks at her palm and knows that Leopold is looking for her.

"I have-" He just waves his hand at her.

"I know Dearie; your husband is looking for you." Regina realizes that she'd told Sir Gale that she'd gone for a horse ride but didn't bring her horse to the clearing. Her eyes wide she turns towards him and hears a whinny.

"I figured you would need to keep your story correct, also it was a bit of a way for me to show you what magic can do for you." He giggles at her and bows. The purple smoke appears swirling around him, still bowed, and he disappears. Regina walks to her horse and rides back to the castle. The stable boy takes her horse and mentions that Leopold is seeking her out. Regina finds him in the dining room with Snow White.

"Ah, darling, how was your ride?" He kisses her temple and pours a glass of wine handing it to Regina. Snow is sitting next to the fireplace and reading by the light it's giving off.

"Refreshing and invigorating, I was told you were looking for me." He calls to Snow who hops up eagerly and stands next to Regina.

"Well, my girls how would you like to come on a trip to one of our neighboring territories? They have had a difficult year and I need to go and raise morale. I figured that you would like to get out of this castle. We will be leaving at the end of the week." Dinner is served a few minutes later and Snow keeps up a steady stream of questions during the entire meal.

"I am excited for our trip, Leopold. I think it will be a great idea to possibly just make this a large good will trip and visit more than the one area in need. I would love to see more than just the one location." Regina sits in bed and watches her husband untie his robe and climb into bed. He sits for a second and thinks over what she said. A second later he grabs her hand kissing the back of it.

"I think that is a fantastic idea. I shall fill in the counsel tomorrow about the update to our plans. It's wonderful that you are taking such an interest in your land." Regina is about to comment that it isn't her land to realize that she is queen, therefore it is her land. Leopold kisses her hand again and Regina can see the affection shining in his eyes. She smiles at him and welcomes his affections. They make love. Regina was a virgin when she married and enjoys the closeness that being with Leopold has created. To intimately know someone makes her feel like a woman. Afterwards Leopold and Regina talk about the mundane details about what is going on in castle. It isn't long until Regina hears the soft snore emanating from Leopold. She slips out of bed and cleans up from their sex. She returns to bed to be pulled into a cuddle with him. Sleep finds her easily.

~Rumplestiltskin~

He sits at his table and listens for those crying out to him for help. One girl is just screaming for adventure. He'd almost went to her earlier that evening but decided it wasn't quite time to go to her. The girl's land will be under an ogre attack before too long and he'll wait until then to strike his bargain. The ogres have attacked a couple of times prior but they've always been beaten back with minimal effort. Their numbers grow by the day.

He is happy to see how quickly Regina has taken to magic. The fact that it was only their second exercise and she is able to move a large branch, hell a small log really, is impressive. He hears a tap coming from somewhere. He turns to the mirror he'd given Regina a mere two months prior and sees a reflection that is not his.

"Well, hello Cora. I figured you would find a way to make noise. Just so you know you can only do that in the mirror you are trapped in." He can see the frustration in every inch of her as she silently screams at him and pounds on the glass. It comes out as a small tap. He places a thick tapestry over the mirror and silence ensues. Rumplestiltskin still thinks about the time they made love and her promises to him. He didn't think he had a heart when he was pulled to her in the tower surrounded by straw and a spinning wheel. Her thirst for power surpassed his desire for the same. He smiled sadly remembering her telling him she wanted to have his children. When she showed him her heart and told him she chose power it almost broke him. She would rather have power over happiness. He should have seen it from the beginning but hindsight is always clearer. The tapestry is more than just a cover. It makes it impossible for Cora to have access to him or to gain magic. A plain cloth would not be able to prevent her from tapping and possibly gaining the ability to get out of the mirror. He leaves it uncovered for a few minutes every once in a while just to see her suffer and to see if she is gaining any ability to leave her prison.

His thinking about Cora always takes him back to Milah. Ah, Milah the woman he married because he had to but got the child he didn't even know he wanted. That is a very apt description of himself, a man who doesn't know what he wants until he loses it. He spent so much time during his marriage to Milah at his spinning shop. She had been left at home alone to do nothing but sweep the same dirt spot she'd swept the day before. She was not big on letting anyone know she was unhappy or displeased about something, she would inevitably just give him a cold shoulder for a few days. When he'd been force out of his shop, his father's debts came and claimed all of it to pay them off. He was left with the clothes on his and Milah's back and their tiny home. Milah was furious with him for not fighting to keep his shop. The way the thugs had laughed at him as he ran out of the building once they had promised they were square and he was in no danger of them coming back. He'd tried to get back to the prosperous way he was but nobody in the town wanted to use his thread, or have him make anything for themselves. He'd thought about leaving the town when the summons for him to join the ogre war came. Once he had fought in the war and returned then he'd have the town's respect.

When Milah told him she was pregnant right before he left, it was all Rumplestiltskin could do but to envision the adoration that his son would look at him with, one that isn't tarnished by having seen him be a coward. He often played out the scenario with the two of them going into the new non-magical world. He wondered what would have happened, would his son respect him. What did Baelfire look like today, was he still even alive. Rumplestiltskin had to believe that his Bae was still alive. As he lay in bed with these thoughts swirling around him his dreams were just more nightmares. The same as they always were, Bae dead standing in front of him accusing Rumple of killing him by not doing what he agreed.

The night is still dark, the sun has yet to make its presence known and herald a new day in. He sits in his favorite chair in his potions room, in the tower he created because it had windows in every direction. It allowed the most light in during the day and that was the only proper way to make some of the more intricate potions. He would do them outside but there are always possible contamination issues. The voices are always there and he taps into them to see if there is one that can take his mind off Bae. He tunes into one guys request. It intrigues Rumple, this kid isn't asking for fame, fortune, or for a girl. He's asking for strength and charisma. An impish grin comes over him and he dresses in his usual attire of leather pants, knee high boots with a crocodile vest over a silk shirt. He strides towards his door and disappears in a small plume of purple smoke. He hides nearby as he watches this scrawny guy pacing outside by a well. Rumple makes some branches near the kid break and watches him jump. He can see the debate within the kid to run or to check to see if he, Rumple, had arrived. He silently appears behind the boy. A thrill of glee runs through Rumple as the kid turns towards him and jumps nearly two feet in the air.

"You do know how late it is, do you not dearie?" The boy looked like a fish gasping for air.

"I-I-I'm sor-I didn't-please don't hurt me." Rumple loved when they stammered like this. Rumple turned and walked to the well a few feet away and leans against it.

"Now what is it that you so desperately needed from me that it pulled me out of my warm bed?" The kid stood as tall as he could. He looked in Rumplestiltskin's eyes and with a tiny flinch he takes a deep breath.

"My name is Gaston and I would like to not be me. I would like to be strong and have charisma."

"Well, well, Gaston one should not be so free with giving out their name." Rumple does not give the boy time to ask why; they always do whenever he tells them this. Instead he walks circles around the boy and sizes him up. He whips out a small vial full of pink colored liquid; it tickled him that the potion for strength was pink instead of a more 'manly' color.

"This gives you exactly what you want. First you have to agree to my conditions. You shall never go against me. If I want something of yours you must give it to me freely." Gaston just stared at the bottle and nodded slightly. He pulls out his contract and has Gaston sign it. An overly flourished signature appears on the paper as the boy signs it. Rumplestiltskin magically whisks the contract to his magically sealed safe and hands Gaston the potion. The boy sniffs it and grimaces but in one fell swoop he tips his head back and takes the whole potion in one swift swallow. Rumple took a step back and waited for the growing pains to start. Gaston looked at his arms immediately after swallowing. When he sees that nothing happened he opens his mouth but is met with Rumplestiltskin's finger against his lips. Not even ten seconds later the boy drops to his knees in a silent scream as his muscles rip apart and build upon themselves. It is two minutes of watching someone literally transform in front of him. When Gaston stands up he is no longer scrawny.

"Thank you." Gaston turns to leave and Rumple smirks. He's made Gaston a little more…simple minded now. A smirk crosses his face and he returns to his castle. The sun is close to crossing the horizon. He is in a far better mood when his hand starts to feel warm. Regina is requesting him.

"I am quite popular today, and it isn't even today yet. What can I do for you Regina." She is standing in their clearing when he arrived.

"I'm just letting you know that I won't be around for about a month or so, Leopold, Snow and I are going on a sort of ambassador tour. I didn't want you to try contacting me and either getting rejected or not getting a response at all." That surprised him quite a lot. He stands for a second before he bows.

"Please let me know when you are back so we can continue our training." She smiles a little and seems to be letting her breath out.

"I thought you would be mad at me for going on this tour."

"Duty comes first. I understand that. I shall see you in the near future dearie." He watches as she mounts her horse and rides away. He returns to his dining hall and strides over to the covered mirror. Cora is instantly at the mirror banging on it. The noise is still a very soft tapping sound. He can see that she is yelling at him.

"Your daughter is thriving without you. I just thought you should know, dearie." He says the last word with venom and returns the cover. He sees a slight shock on her face as it falls over the mirror. Cora's biggest fear is to not be needed; the desire for power fed that need. She felt that if she had power then people would need her around to help them. It's, in fact, the exact opposite. She took her power and turned it to absolute control; that can't be done. People have to think they have a choice in seeking help from powerful people. He stokes the fire in the hearth and watches it dance. The castle is silent and like usual when it is so quiet his mind returns not only to Bae but to Milah and Cora. He held a wish deeper than all others, he wanted someone who would look at him and not see someone who could do something for them but rather someone who would look at him and see him; not the monster but the man who needs love, to love and be loved.


	4. Chapter 4

**Enjoy the new chapter!**

~Regina~

The tour of villages has been exhausting. Leopold has been in meetings in every village they've arrived in, for at least a couple of days in each one. From what Regina figures out, there is a potential ogre problem, they are growing in numbers and wreaking havoc wherever they go. There have already been two ogre wars, which did nothing but kill off the weaker ones and make the remaining ogres all the more violent. Regina and Snow are walking along with a village elder learning the history of the newest village.

"…so when the first snow fell those many years ago people feared that the God's were angry with them. They put out these white candles as a symbol for forgiveness. They say that the snow was melted within moments of the final flake falling." Snow's eyes are huge with interest. The elder looks at Regina and she flashes a quick smile and nods them on ahead. She sits down for a moment. She has been surrounded by people for a solid month now and she has two more weeks at least until she can have some alone time. She is surprised to realize that she misses practicing magic. She is grateful that Rumplestiltskin is willing to work around her trepidations. Snow White and the elder wander off and Regina closes her eyes. Regina soaks in the quiet and calm that envelops her. She looks at her palm and then turns her hand over to look at her wedding ring. Snow bounces up to her and grabs her hand pulling her into a standing position.

"Come on Regina…I mean mother, you need to see this lake. It is so incredibly blue. You will love it." She squeezes the little girls hand gently and lets her lead them. The amount of energy that Snow White has a way of rubbing off on those around her; Regina feels her exhaustion ebb just a little bit as she sees the lake. It is so blue that it looks like it's under a spell.

"Ah, Queen Regina, I was just telling young Princess Snow about the supposed healing abilities of this lake. It is said to cure whatever ails you. Anything from a broken heart to a broken limb, though it is not open for anybody to waltz in and partake of its properties. You have to have a special permit approved by the council to be able to come in here. The last person who was allowed in here was when I was a boy." The silence that enveloped the lake soothes Regina further and as the elder leads them back to the town hall she is feeling much less anxious and stressed. He speaks of the last man who was allowed to an avid audience of Snow White. That girl is a sponge and soaks up whatever knowledge she can get.

"Ah, my loves, I hope you learned some exciting things about this village." Snow immediately begins filling him in on everything she's learned while Regina is pulled aside for some final decisions on a ball that is being held in their honor that evening. The rest of the afternoon and evening pass quickly and before Regina can even process it they leave for the next village. The next month, two of the villages insisted on holding some sort of fair in honor of Leopold and Regina's wedding, follow in much the same pattern and before she knows it Regina is back home and eager to train. Leopold is held up in his office trying to plan a way to prevent the ogres from attacking. It seems inevitable to Regina that there will be yet another war, one more devastating than the last two combined. She rides her horse out to the clearing. She stands there for a second and smiles. She squeezes her left hand and in a haze of purple he appears with a deep bow.

"You beckoned, how was your trip?" He looks happy to see her, or that could just be him acting. She doesn't really care. She's just happy to be able to stretch her magical muscles.

"It was exhausting. I'm glad to be back. Miss me." She says it casually, not really realizing that she said it. A look comes over his face briefly, so briefly that she thinks she is just seeing things.

"I hadn't realized you were gone, dearie. Lots of deals made and lots of people who think they are smarter than I am. Now let's see how much your abilities have suffered in your month off." He steps back and Regina turns towards her horse and with a whinny of surprise and fear as it is lifted off the ground. She turns towards him and sees a small look of surprise, which like all his reactions, is quickly covered up with a smirk.

"Well, well, dearie someone has been practicing." Instead of answering she just shrugs and gently puts the horse down. It stamps its hooves and shakes its head, as if to shake off the magic. She can see that he is impressed with her; it thrills her to know this. He has been one of the only people in her life willing to praise and teach her rather than scold and scorn her. Of course Leopold and Snow treat her well but they are all still getting to know each other and each other's moods. It is tough sometimes trying to feel included in a pre-made family. Leopold and Snow do their best to incorporate her into their conversations but it's like she's missed an important comment or joke that they already know. Their trip helped immensely in feeling more like a family and for Regina to feel included.

"Now that you have that one spell down let's move onto another one. This one will help you prevent anyone from being able to do what you just did to your horse." He disappears and Regina looks around for a second. He is nowhere to be seen. She starts looking a little more frantically.  
>"Right here dearie." She turns to see him casually sitting on the fallen branch he'd thrown at her earlier in her training. She turns to face him and he is gone again. She turns a full circle and does not see him. She stands still and waits for him to make his appearance. He does a second later.<br>"Was someone never taught hide and seek when they were a child?" He smirks slightly and Regina is hit with the memory of playing that game with her father. Cora put a stop to that memory before too terribly long. Whenever Regina would hide Cora would just use her magic to lift her into the air anywhere from twenty-five feet to seventy-five feet, depending on her mood.

"Kinda takes all the fun out of it when your mother uses magic to find you." Rumplestiltskin drops his smirk briefly and Regina just shrugs her shoulders at him.

"It is what it is and she is no longer around so I'm over it. Now, please show me." The two spend the rest of the afternoon working on her ability to disappear, leaving a slight shimmer surrounding her. When they decide to end the session Regina is able to disappear almost entirely. That evening as she helps Snow climb into bed Regina realizes how for the first time in her life she is truly content with how her life is. She reads a story to Snow and once the little girl is sound asleep Regina joins Leopold on their terrace for a cup of wine and some quiet conversation. For the first time in a while when sleep met Regina it was not filled with nightmares of seeing Daniel's death or of her mother's face in a smirk of satisfaction rather it was filled with visions of days like today.

The next morning as the castle slept Regina took a walk through the dew covered garden. Her thoughts often used to wander to Daniel and missing him, or her frustration over Snow White's misguided "helpfulness". That morning though her thoughts are of how wonderful the earth smelled and the sounds of the water quietly spraying out of the fountain. Even though she'd only just met and started working with Rumplestiltskin, Regina felt that they were going to be very close friends. She is almost back to the castle when she sees a messenger on horseback galloping down the road to the castle. Regina stands still with a sick feeling as the messenger jumps off the barely stopped horse and sprints into the castle. It takes her a minute to get to the dining hall where Leopold and the messenger are standing.

"The ogres have started attacking." He says to her as he passes her to grab a quill and parchment. Leopold quickly scratches a note and hands it to the messenger who runs off. Instead of sitting down for breakfast Leopold calls to his knight and the two leave the room. Regina sits down hard, the feeling of the wind being knocked out of her is heavy and Regina doesn't know if she is going to cry or throw up.

"What's going on, Mother?" Regina looks at the large eyes of Snow and her heart sinks. Regina pulls her up onto her lap and explains that her father is needed somewhere and would be leaving soon. Leopold asks for a few moments alone with Regina, Snow is gently pulled away by her tutor.

"It sickens me that I am leaving you so soon after we wed. I would have hoped that we would have been able to have a longer honeymooning than this. I am leaving Gale here." Regina starts to protest but is met with a kiss on the temple and a look of concern.

"Regina, please these ogres are the most aggressive group yet and I don't want to run the risk of you and Snow being caught here without any protection." She bites her lip a little and almost thinks of telling him that she can protect them with magic but quickly squelches that thought. He kisses her, this time on the lips, and gives her a tight embrace. A lump forms when she hears Snow cry out in protest.

"No, daddy you can't leave me. Daddy please don't go." She is crying and clutching at him as she follows him down the entry hall and Regina gently grabs her and holds her struggling body close to her. Leopold is gone for just a week. There was a misunderstanding, there was a giant roaming the village and had accidentally stepped on a wayward chicken. Regina smiles when she sees the utter happiness that passes over Snow's face at the appearance of him. He looks more warn and worried but will not discuss whatever it is with her.

~Rumplestiltskin~

He hates admitting that the time Regina was gone that he missed her. He hates thinking that after so many years of trying to break that particular weakness that he is still so weak. He wanders his castle and realizes with a sad sigh that he needs to get her here soon. The time isn't quite right though so he has to wait a little longer for that particular deal. Rumplestiltskin spends much of the next couple of days sitting at his spinning wheel. His one comfort, his one item that is a link to his past. It never takes him very long to relax when he sits and spins. That was until two days ago. He went to Avonlea to look around, he likes to surreptitiously watching Gaston. There is another voice in that village that calls strongly to him but it is not her time yet. He sees the muscly guy with three blondes practically crawling all over him, the boy seems to be enjoying the company. Rumplestiltskin disappears and invisibly moves around the village. In a small clearing he comes to see a girl sitting reading a book. Her brown hair is tied back in a simple loose tail with a childlike bow holding it back. The girl pushes her hair out of her face and looks up at the darkening sky. He can hear her cries for adventure so loudly that he's almost positive that she sees him and is speaking to him directly.  
>A sudden noise to his left makes Rumplestiltskin still even more as a knight comes forward into the clearing.<p>

"Lady Belle, your father wishes to speak with you." The girl softly closes the book and sighs. Silently she stands and follows the knight into the small castle. Rumplestiltskin disappears and appears at his own castle. He wanders to the mirror and whips off the curtain and takes a step inside. He'd set a spell so that he is the only one able to enter and exit the mirror. The once constant darkness that Cora was initially plunged into is slowly giving way to brighter surroundings. He isn't too concerned at the moment at the magic that Cora still seems to have. He's done a lot of protection spells to prevent Cora's ability to escape, she can however create whatever type of world she wants with in the mirror, something he'd planned for her, he didn't want to make her crazy….well maybe a little crazy. A slightly disheveled Cora appears in front of him. A look of barely contained fury flashes across her face.

"What do you want?" She snaps at him.

"Cora, dearie, I have no ill intentions for being here." She snorts loudly and crosses her arms across her chest.

"I actually was curious about how you are dealing with not having any power over anyone anymore." She drops her arms and walks a few steps away from him.

"I wouldn't say over anyone, you're here. What still eats at you, the fact that I promised you something you didn't think you could ever have, someone who saw the real you and still wanted you or the fact that I chose power over that? Is it simpler than that, I was able to find out a loophole to your contract? That must have chaffed. What do you want from me Rumplestiltskin, as you can plainly see I have nothing I can give you." To emphasize her point Cora spreads her arms and slowly turns back towards him. He disappears and is in his castle once again. He magically flings the curtain over the mirror. He sits at his spinning wheel but does not spin. He admits that he's been more tortured lately. He is so desperately lonely that he looks forward to the warmth in his palm when Regina calls for him. The voices, that used to soothe him in a twisted way, are more annoying and frustrating with the triviality that people think is important is increasing more and more. His anger towards not going with Bae is slowly fading away and that makes him just as frustrated. He thinks back to that night. Bae standing in front of him pleading and crying for him to come with him into a non-magical world scared him so deeply that it rooted him to the spot.

"_Papa, please you promised._" That plays on repeat in his mind. He is a man of his word agreements and he couldn't keep the one most important to him. He let his boy go into an unknown world.

He couldn't give up his power, he couldn't give up his ability to make people fear him. He didn't know what was worse being known as a coward or as a second generation coward. Rumplestiltskin wanted so much more for his son, his heir. He wanted a life full of ease and contentment. Instead his actions always led him down the wrong path, even when he tried to do good and live life correctly. He lifts his hands to the straw waiting to be fed into the spinner and dejectedly tosses it back into the basket. Rumple closes his eyes and lets the visions of the future start to pour into his mind. He can see an odd type of village and a blonde walking the streets determined to fix things. This girl will be the one that makes it possible for him to find and fix things with Baelfire.

The next month passes with relative quiet, the ogres haven't been seen and even the voices have calmed a bit, that happens when something big is going to happen, people tend to stop wishing for things, they instead begin to hope for the best. Rumple sits quietly in the woods waiting for Regina to appear, on her horse as usual. The warmth that he felt when she sought him out for a lesson made him smile. He'll actually be able to interact with someone without having to put on any airs.

"I never thought you waited Rumple." Her voice startles him, though he doesn't show that type of reaction.

"Were you trying to startle me, dearie? You'll have to try harder." He gently tuts at her as her smirk slides into an easy smile.

"Today we are going to shake things up. Magic is all well and good when you alone can do things but you need to be able to be able to manipulate the magic of others to your benefit. There are some who can drain the energy out of you leaving you in a weakened state." He quickly lassoed her with a rope of magic and begins pulling her towards him. He can see the panic starting to dilate her eyes and make her breath catch in her chest. In a moment of clarity he recalls her telling him that Cora used to use this technique of control over her. He immediately drops the spell and Regina backs up a step catching her breath.

"I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories." She shakes off his comment and shrugs her shoulders.

"Okay, I'm ready, just please warn me next time so I can block off those painful memories." He pauses, his arms hanging in the air, he brings them back down to his side.

"Dearie, your pain can feed your magic. It's how a lot of magic, at least with beginners, gets used. Also, you aren't always going to be under…..friendly fire. You'll have to learn how to deal." Regina just stands quietly looking at him. He quickly casts the spell again and coaxes her through breaking it and using the energy created to fuel her own magic. They end several hours later, the sky turning a beautiful lavender color.

"I feel so weird. I feel like I can literally vibrate out of my own skin." A small chuckle slips out.

"You've been gone for a very long time, what will your dear husband think you have gone."

"He thinks that I have taken to spending my days visiting the small villages around and soaking up some of the local history. Snow loves that type of thing so I told him I would scout out the area and get things set up. I hadn't planned on staying as long as I did." Regina sits on a log and watches him as he removes the hiding spells he puts in place. He thinks he catches a glimpse of dark hair but when he magically appears where he saw it he's met with nothing but woods. Regina calls to him, on her second beckoning she stops suddenly and he hears branches breaking. He reappears in their clearing and Regina is gone. He tracks her by the broken branches. Twenty minutes of walking later and he finds Regina sitting on the ground staring off towards the castle.

"Snow White saw us. She has agreed to not tell Leopold, I told her I was learning from you to prevent someone equally as bad from being able to harm us. She seems to be placated but I'm worried. I should go and make sure things are okay." With a small nod from him she disappears.

"Little Snow, mischievous Snow White. You are going to have a difficult few years coming." He decides to go to the village of Avonlea and watch Belle for a little, the girl is intriguing to him. Yet again he finds her secluded and trying to read, the pipsqueak Gaston is trying to get her attention. He has the look of a knight, or at least one in training.

"Gaston, I told you we might be engaged but I am not interested in moving as quickly as you want." Gaston ignores her and puts his arm around her shoulder. His other hand grabs the book she is trying to read and begins idly leafing through it.

"What the hell is this, Belle?"

"A book." Her sarcasm is lost on him but Rumplestiltskin has to bite his lip a bit to keep from giving himself away.

"I know that, I'm not an idiot. You are a girl, this book should have some pictures to make it easier to follow the story." Belle grabs the book and begins rubbing the pages that Gaston creased in his criticizing of her.

"It is getting late Gaston and I think Papa needs to speak with you." He responds like a puppy chasing a toy and strides off into the castle, well after he laid a wet kiss on her lips. Belle wiped the wetness off her mouth and returned to fixing the creases in the book.


End file.
